Suspended San Antonio Police Officer
Convicted Of Sexual Assault

WASHINGTON – San Antonio Police Department Officer, Dean Gutierrez, was
convicted in federal court for violating the civil rights of a private citizen
following a traffic stop, the Justice Department announced today.

The jury found Gutierrez guilty of willfully violating the civil rights of the
victim, who is transgendered, through aggravated sexual assault. Evidence at
trial showed that on June 10, 2005, the defendant stopped the victim and asked
whether the victim wanted to go to jail or get in the car with the defendant.
The defendant then drove the victim to a remote location, removed the victim
from the car, and forced the victim to engage in sexual activity. During this
sexual assault, the defendant also physically assaulted the victim. The jury
found that the defendant’s conduct amounted to aggravated sexual assault, a
felony, that carries a sentence of up to life in prison and up to $250,000 in
fines. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on Dec. 1, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. CST
before District Court Judge Xavier Rodriguez.

“Law enforcement officers are responsible for protecting citizens. Using one’s
official authority to forcibly violate another individual, as the defendant did
in this case, is disturbing and abhorrent,” said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney
General for the Civil Rights Division.

In announcing the conviction, Assistant Attorney General Kim commended the U.S.
Attorney’s Office, the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the San Antonio Police Department for
their work on this investigation and prosecution.